Piling On?

I know it has been awhile since I posted but I am hoping to change that. I guess we shall see, huh?
My life has changed a little bit since I last posted. I went from Assistant Dean of Students to Dean of Students to Instructor in Criminal Justice all at the same institution and within a short period of time I should mention as well. I have had many changes in my life and have to change the way I think as well as learn to adjust to a new job and new requirements. It has been rewarding for the most part, but there is still a part of me that misses my old job as I knew there would be. I worked with some of the best people in the world in my old job and I miss engaging them on a daily basis. As they say though, the show must go on and so I am trying to learn to do my new job as well or better than I did the old one. That is taking some time to accomplish.
I recently have had several negative things happen in my life that have weighed on my mind very much. It just seems that they started small and have gotten bigger (probably a misnomer but I am human). It feels like things just keep piling on and I an caught on the bottom of the pile with nowhere to go. I feel trapped and like someone has kicked me in the gut. I am frustrated and discouraged and do not know what to do. The interesting side note is that for the first time in a long time I began to feel that I was growing closer to God and making progress in my spiritual life and then these things started to happen. I was recommitting my life to God and starting to straighten out my priorities and overcome my usual struggles and temptations. It is almost like the devil sensed that I was turning a corner in my life with my spirituality and he wanted to make sure that I regressed instead of growing stronger. I must say he is very good at what he does and it is hard not to allow my faith to be shaken and taken from me. I have been struggling over the last couple of days to come to grips with what is going on and really put my trust in God.
I knew that a day would come when my faith would really be put to the test and I thought I was ready. It seems like maybe I was not. Maybe my faith is not as strong as it should be, maybe I do not trust God as much as I should, maybe I have not truly pesonalized my faith and therefore I do not have a real relationship with God. I co-teach the college class at the congregation where I attend and this semester we are spending it attempting to help those in attendence increase their spiritual foundation. The goal is to get them thinking about the actions they take and decisions they make and for them to make a concerted effort to live for God and increase their faith. I think I needed this semester as much or more than the students who are attending.
So you may be thinking what was the point of this post? Well first it is carthatic for me to just put into words what I am feeling, but I also believe there are others out there who are struggling just like I am. That there are other people who are trapped under the pile of bad things happening in their life that they are questioning why it is happening to them while others have no problems (or at least it looks that way). I believe there are others like me who have prayed and prayed for something to happen and felt like the Lord was leading them to it only to run into a brickwall. I believe that the devil will any and everything he can to get us to give up and throw up our hands and turn our back on God and live for ourselves.
So what is the answer to situation I am in? I do not know. I do know this though, that my God loves me and will take care of me (John 3:16). I have faith that my God does not like to see me hurt and He will provide for me what I need when I need it. I trust in my God to bring me out this and to make me stronger because of it. How do I get there? I do not know. I do know that I will lay my problems at His feet because He promised me that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30). I know I serve a God who can do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21). I know that I serve a God who hears my prayers and will provide for my needs and knows what I need better than I do.
So what will I do? I will pray to God with all my heart and trust that He will take care of me (Mark 11:24). I will grow closer to Him and put my life in His hands and let Him lead me in the direction He wants me to go. I will trust that He knows what is best for me and that I will come through stronger, better, and wiser than when it started. I will continue to ask for what it is that I want and believe He will provide it if I need it. I will get my priorities right and not let the devil take from me what is the most precious and priceless thing I have: my faith in my God who is the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.
To those who feel they are in the same situation as I am in, I offer encouragement to trust that God will bring you through the troubles you face. For those who are struggling and looking for answers, I suggest looking into His Word because it will calm you. To those who just do not know what to do, I offer the knowledge that we serve a God who spoke the world into being and will take care of us if we are faithful to Him. So what do I offer? The good news that this life will pass and what awaits us in Heaven is more valuable than anything this world has to offer. Focus your eyes on Jesus and know that He will walk with you step by step and will carry you when you need it.